As is oft the vexatious case, I came about a stream of concept at the remote, wee hour of 1am. As a confidently identified and constructing Feminist mental health practitioner, I believe in the power of those messages (be they explicit or implicit) that slither beneath the surface of the accepted popular culture or socio-political parlance. Needless to say it took a beer and a serious think to bring forth a singular term that encapsulates Wally's music. The verbiage my electrified brain settled upon was this: subversive.
Now, this is generally a tricky term to espouse as it tends to carry a negative or anarchist connotation. However, subversion is often the catalyst to enlightenment. It is iconoclastic and tectonic, and can shift insidious complacency towards change and growth. So-what manner of subversive semi-synth sample pop music is the product here? Is it an exercise in deconstruction or genesis? Perhaps it's a yin-yang balance of both.
It is hard to pin-down the rationale for walking out of a show mid-set after the ubiquitous radio hit pays its dues. What perhaps can be captured is the apparent possibility that the starkly non-trad and innovative MO of Wally a.k.a Gotye subverts the contemporary pop zeitgeist in a fashion that is bound to be loved by many and misunderstood perhaps in equal share.
I'll own my shit in my honesty that I am of the "I get it" ilk.
Then again I love subversive things.
~~~ c. Paige 2012~~~
Paige: I’m chomping at the bit like a hungry, wired horse, wanting to write a more thorough response to this topic. And I haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing a live Gotye show for myself (my time will come in about three weeks!). But allow me to once again put in my two cents’ worth regarding the issue of introversion, as you’ve brought it up and it’s something I’ve studied more formally in college, albeit in literature courses.
ReplyDeleteA growing tendency (and an unfortunate one) is that audiences and experiencers shun engagement with art. There’s an increase in quality over quantity, perhaps due to the rapid progression of technology that makes us try to keep up with innovation rather than allow ourselves to master one before moving on to the next great thing. The same may be said of art: we don’t give it enough of a chance nowadays. We’re so accustomed to moving from one sound-bite to the next that we aren’t practiced enough in the art of letting something sink in. Letting something enter us fully. Letting something *change* (and not just briefly entertain) us. Some of us may be scared to do so. Some may be reluctant because they just don’t know how to interact with art. And still others may not even recognize that such an engagement is possible.
I say “we” and “us” as if speaking for society, but I know that it’s unfair to lump everyone together. But play along, please!
The original definition of “subversion” denoted action, that of razing a city or a stronghold. It meant destroying something—pure demolition. I get the impression that many people are not open to the idea of art breaking the mold (of their minds) and allowing them to rebuild something stronger, firmer, and more affirming. Something we can actually be proud of rather than just accepting it blindly and mindlessly. Even the deepest, truest faiths require disbelief and continual questioning and subsequent renewal! We are out of shape when it comes to being mentally constructive. It saddens me to say it, but as an educator, I see it all too often not to point it out. I see it in writing and analytical-reading skills especially, but the same applies to music or any form of creative work and art.
Now, all this being said, I’m not out to defend any artist or show in particular. I’m sure some shows are just better than others, perhaps due to a variety of variables, from bad acoustics to poor health to an overall bad “vibe” in the audience. But I’m also willing to bet that a concert, especially one given by, shall we say, an unconventional artist, would have a lot more impact on an audience that would lend its collective minds (and ears) to the musician readily, with an openness to discover as much as enjoy the music; to engage with it as much as be entertained by it.
At the end of the day, we all need to retrain ourselves to recognize deeper meanings, importances, and lessons beneath the surface of things we take for granted. Sure—we don’t always have to face *everything* in life with total sobriety on the brink of cynicism or chagrin, but we should *want* to milk every second of every experience for what it’s worth. And not just because we’re paying for it with time or money but because we’re people hoping to grow, develop, and change ourselves as well as the world. No change is possible without internal growth. And internal growth only happens when catalyzed by something unexpected, outside the “norms” and “patterns” of pedestrian living that make us repeat things rather than improve them.
In the end, we all need to destabilize our lives just a little. Subversion is good for the soul. It’s good for society. It is, all in all, powerful stuff. But it has to be given a chance to at least set its toes down, even if a person is not yet ready to commit to placing his or her feet on new terrain.
whoo......amen sista
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